


You A Man, Drover?

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Australia (2008)
Genre: Australia, Coming of Age, Gen, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Mage, Nature Magic, Parenthood, Racial Tension, Racism, Walkabout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-16
Updated: 2012-08-16
Packaged: 2017-11-12 07:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/488292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Drover is surprised by Nullah's question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You A Man, Drover?

He had just finished breaking in one of the brumbies when Nullah asked him something he never thought he'd hear. "You a man, Drover?"

The Drover brushed it off. "Yeah, I try to be."

But Nullah persisted. "Sometimes man gotta get away from woman."

"Maybe."

"That's why you go droving!"

He simply could not figure out what the boy was getting at. "I go droving 'cause that's my job." Which wasn't entirely true; he did love it, and he did love the freedom of being his own man, but that was a bit too much to explain to the little one.

"If you don't go droving, you not a man," Nullah declared.

The Drover turned and gave the boy a strong look, trying to find the mischevious smile, but the wide eyes that stared back at him were innocent. He began to have an inkling of where this was going, and he was a little bit proud that Nullah had come to him. However, if he was right, this was a conversation best held in private, so he sent the men away.

As soon as they began to disperse, Nullah continued. "King George tell me I gotta go walkabout. If I am man, I gotta go walkabout. Learn'em be a man."

That's what he had been afraid of. "Yeah." He paused. How could he, a white man, tell this little boy not to go? How could he deny him the one society willing to have him? But how could he give his permission, knowing it would break Sarah's heart? "Listen, it's up to Mrs. Boss what you do, all right?" he finally said instead.

Just then, as though her name had been a signal, Sarah called them inside for dinner, and the conversation was temporarily halted. But, watching the boy run off with Jedda, the Drover knew it wasn't over.


End file.
